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A model for motherhood
K. Allan Blume, BR Editor
May 07, 2012
4 MIN READ TIME

A model for motherhood

A model for motherhood
K. Allan Blume, BR Editor
May 07, 2012

When God designed motherhood He gave the world one of His most unique creations. No human role elicits as much emotion as that of a mother. It is not surprising that Mother’s Day generates a massive tidal wave of respect and attention toward our moms. It is a big day for the greeting card industry, phone companies, and it might even help pull the post office out of their deficit.

Yet, none among us claims to have the perfect mother, and I don’t know any moms who want to claim the title “perfect mom.”

Most moms do their best to give sacrificially and love unconditionally 24-7. But they hit the wall sometimes with a feeling of inadequacy, wondering if they did the right thing.

While mothers are great examples to us, they need models of their own to follow. God has given the world some great ones!

One of my favorite motherly models is Jochebed, the mother of Moses. I would call her a “super-model” – obviously not in the secular sense.

Jochebed is mentioned only a few times in scripture, but she provides a finely drawn portrait of a mother with great faith. The second chapter of Exodus pictures her as a woman of decisive, courageous and sensible faith.

She was decisive in the way she planned a strategy to save her son.

Because the Hebrew people had become a threat to Egypt’s reigning Pharaoh, he forced them into rigorous slavery. When they continued to grow and prosper, he commanded the Hebrew midwives to throw their newborn sons into the Nile to die.

It was during this political reign of terror that Jochebed gave birth to her third child, Moses. He was born into a world where the government devalued life and forced infanticide. That is not an acceptable option for a woman of faith.

You know the story of how she constructed a basket. She placed her baby in the basket, and carefully deposited it in a river near the bathing spot of the Pharoah’s daughter. Then she waited.

In the dangerous world in which she lived, Jochebed stands out because she did what she could to save her child. Being a mother isn’t for the faint of heart. It requires some tough decisions – decisions that are risky and heart-wrenching. Such decisions require faith in God’s almighty hand. She did what she could do and trusted God for what He could do.

Jochebed was courageous in the way she committed to save her son’s life. She would have to go against the law of the land. She would risk her own life as well as her newborn son’s life. Courageously, she followed divine law. Jochebed and her husband disobeyed the government and hid Moses for three months. That takes courage!

This woman is also a model of sensible faith. When it was obvious that little Moses could not remain hidden from the authorities, she did not throw the child haphazardly into the Nile River.

She chose the specific place where Pharaoh’s daughter would bathe, and she placed Moses’ sister, Miriam, close by to watch the situation.

Miriam was poised to be available to Pharaoh’s daughter when the opportunity came. What a sensible act by Moses’ mother!

Every conscientious mother knows how dangerous it is to raise a child in our world. Children must be guarded and protected from forces intent on destroying them. Mothers are designed for such an assignment.

Mothers, you are loved and appreciated. You have a lot on your plate, and you have a big responsibility. Follow biblical models for motherhood.

Your children are blessed and all of society is stronger because you obeyed God. We need you!